Finally
by m.cuthbert
Summary: My version of how and when Laura fell in love. While I was writing Laura's thoughts I kept hearing Robbie's - so his story is here too. My version of buy one get one free. I don't own either of these wonderful characters. I just like to play with their missed opportunities.
1. Something to think about

Why don't you?" Laura had been thinking about that question all day, and it was still annoying her when she arrived home. What did James think they had to work out? He'd seen her having dinner with Franco. Why had that been such a big deal? She was single, and therefore free to date if she wanted. Not that it had been real date. More of an 'it was fun to catch up, but proves we were right to break up' date. But as she made her dinner, Laura admitted to herself that she had felt guilty at the time; had even felt like she had been caught cheating. She had expected James to tell Robbie what he'd seen, and she'd assumed that the news would upset him. So she had been confused when Robbie had acted normally at the girls crime scene. Sitting down with her meal and a glass of wine, she realised she had actually been disappointed that he wasn't treating her any differently. Then later, when Robbie had admitted to being upset just as James arrived she had assumed James had only just told him. She'd been wrong on all counts. She should know better than to assume - the job had taught her that. As she pushed her food around her plate, Laura knew she owed Robbie a better explanation. So picking up her phone she sent a quick text saying "I owe you one, can I buy you breakfast tomorrow?" It wasn't long before the phone pinged with a response "Having dressing changed first thing. Meet me later?" Dressing? Why did Robbie need a dressing? Dressing meant wound and wound meant injured, Laura had pressed the button to dial before she even knew she was doing it.

"Robbie, what happened? Are you OK?" She was speaking before he had chance to say hello, and she heard his quick laugh before he replied "I'm fine, Laura. Just got on the wrong end of a kitchen knife, nothing too deep, but they want to check on it again in the morning. How about afterwards?" He sounded OK, and Laura took a second to savour the relief before replying "sounds good". And it did; being at odds with Robbie had affected her more than she thought, judging by how much better she felt having made plans to put it right. They talked a bit longer, then said goodbye.


	2. Something to tell

As she put the phone down, it dawned on Laura that they'd never really been at odds before. Ever since he'd returned from the BVI, their work relationship had evolved into something - she hesitated over the next word - more. She had felt duty bound to check on him; she was one of the few links to both Morse and Val. She had known how he used to be and had been worried at how fed up he had been when he first came back - he had looked lost; home but without a sense of belonging. At first she had used autopsy reports and updates as an excuse to meet for coffee - then coffee became lunch, lunch became dinner until they had stopped needing a reason and had just looked forward to the next time.

Pushing her plate away, Laura thought back over the last few months. They had grown close, even planned a weekend away at the opera until work got in the way. She smiled as she thought of their chip supper on the bench; not quite what they'd planned but still fun. She remembered thinking then that Robbie was one of a kind. There they were, lovely hotel, good food and opera reduced to chips by the river. And yet he was happy - he'd found an alternative for them, and was making the most of it. A good type of man to have by your side when best laid plans go wrong. Laura had blamed that thought for the dream she had that night. She blushed now as fragments of it came back to her - images of being thoroughly kissed, pressed up against her front door, before being pressed down onto her bed, thoroughly naked. She shook her head to clear the thoughts, then stood up to clear away the remnants of her barely touched meal. Not long after the dream, Ligeia had been murdered. Being questioned by Robbie had angered and upset her. Knowing he was doing his job was easy to say, but harder to believe. He'd sat in her house as Inspector Lewis, when all she had wanted was Robbie. By the time it was over, she'd begun to doubt herself. Ligeia had seen her over the years, how could she have been so comfortable with her? Laura began to wonder if she had missed signs, if she had missed chances to ask the right question. This had led her to doubt all her friendships - was she missing something with them too? She had chosen to step back from Robbie. Wondering if he was just using her to escape memories of Val, wondering too if she'd been using him as a substitute. She had forced herself to sign up to an online dating group, had even been on a few first dates but nobody had intrigued her enough to arrange a second. Then Robbie had told her about Lyn's pregnancy, about wondering if he should retire and move nearer to any prospective grandchildren. She had felt his excitement over the baby and had expected him to choose to go. Her reaction to the thought of not having Robbie close by had been to accept Franco's invitation. When Robbie had mentioned missing work, friends and Oxford but hadn't singled her out, she had felt angry at him again. She had thought that he didn't care enough to imagine missing her. And then she'd bumped into Franco and he did speak of missing her, of thinking about her often and Laura had got caught up in the feeling of being important to someone. She had agreed to dinner the next time he was in town without thinking it through.

It was that lack of thought that had led them to where they were now. Her feeling guilty, Robbie acting hurt. Why did they feel like that? They'd never been more than friends, never even hinted at anything else and yet both of them clearly felt like they were something more. Why was that? When had that started? "You secretly love me" Robbie had said one day while standing next to a dead body. She hadn't, not then, but Laura chewed her lip as she settled back on the sofa with another glass of wine. Had she fallen for Robbie since? All those times together, could they have started something without being aware of it? No, that was impossible. They were both smart people, used to finding the truth - they would have seen it. But then, she hadn't seen anything with Ligeia, and she'd just been wrong twice in as many days with James. And Robbie was no better; he hadn't even noticed the awkwardness between James and Fiona. Laura took a large sip of wine - maybe both of them being oblivious was possible. Taking a deep breath, she continued going through her memories. She smiled as she remembered her birthday, then cringed as she remembered rubbing traces of her lipstick from Robbie's cheek - a fair amount of alcohol that night had left her touch less than gentle, not that he seemed to mind. Laura knew a party wasn't exactly his scene, and yet he had come anyway. Is that when she had started to see him as something more? A few days later Robbie had invited her for coffee as an apology for leaving early. They had already moved on to dinners by then, and it had reminded her how good it felt to have a break away from work, with him. Grabbing a quick coffee together on quiet works days had become the norm after that. Finishing her glass of wine, Laura went back into the kitchen to pour another. As she put the bottle away, she pictured Robbie doing the same on a night when dinner was a takeaway. He had been at home in her home, just as comfortable as she had been in his. Not that she'd been there since she had decided to put some distance between them. That hadn't stopped her looking out for him though. When his old colleague had died, she'd tried to keep him from the body. When Robbie later apologised for being rude, their eyes had caught. Making her way back into the lounge, she realised that there had been something in that moment. She hadn't wanted to tear her eyes from his but, when James interrupted, the moment was broken. How many moments like that had they shared?

Moments like that night on the bench. Robbie had walked her home, arm in arm after she'd linked her arm through his on the uneven path. It had felt good to hold onto him, and felt even better when he had placed his hand over hers for a while. Was that where the dream had come from? Had she actually wanted a goodnight kiss? Did she want what had followed in her dream? Curling her legs beneath her, Laura finally acknowledged the warm feeling inside had nothing to do with the copious amount of alcohol she'd drunk. She closed her eyes and groaned as she remembered a piece of her own advice 'people don't know how you feel'. How was she going to tell Robbie she loved him?


	3. Something to say

As Robbie hung up he noticed that he felt better, despite the throbbing pain in his arm. He had felt uneasy ever since Laura had ignored his wave when he arrived at the college. He knew that he had got used to her being friendly and welcoming, ever since the early days of his return. When he had arrived back in Oxford he had struggled to find his place. He had come home, but home wasn't the same. New place, new boss, new colleagues. Except Laura - she had picked up where she left off as soon as she saw him. Robbie smiled as he thought of the loud shirt tucked away at the back of his wardrobe. He had been going to throw it away, but it had become a kind of symbol to him - proving that for all things change, some things stay the same. That first meeting had shown him a glimpse of the familiar in amongst all the new, and he had grabbed onto it like it was a lifeline. Laura had continued being his anchor, asking him about Val and listening to him to talk about her over coffee or lunch. Then one day, he had realised that all those coffees and lunches Laura arranged in order to exchange information, were really just excuses for her to check up on him. That was the day he first asked her to dinner; he had figured if she was good enough to look out for him, the least he could do was feed her. Microwave meals were his limit in the kitchen, except for the traditional cooked breakfast, so he'd invited her to a meal in the pub instead. It had been a good night, and more had followed until they had become regular outing. In time he had stopped talking about Val, Laura had stopped making excuses and they had just enjoyed themselves.

Robbie made a cup of tea and settled back on his couch. With all the thoughts in his head he would have preferred going out for a pint with James. But he shouldn't mix alcohol with his painkillers, and he couldn't bring himself to mix with James, the lad saw way too much for Robbie's liking. How had he described his relationship with Laura? A bit of a mystery. A lot of one was more accurate. They were friends, workmates, nothing more and yet the thought of her being with someone else had his insides in a knot. They had drifted apart since her friend died and Robbie didn't blame Laura for putting some distance between them. Yes he had needed her statement, but he should have handled it better; explained and apologised before actually asking for her alibi. They still went out after cases but it wasn't the same. Although, he hadn't actually realised that until the day Ally died. Not until Laura had looked at him in the boatyard, holding his gaze until James interrupted them; then he had noticed the recent difference and had made a promise to himself to try harder to get their friendship back.

He had hoped it was still possible, as it wasn't that long ago that she'd been willing to book a weekend away with him. Robbie smiled as he remembered that weekend. Laura had been so good about cancelling their plans; that was why he'd been so determined to salvage something for her. She had happily accepted chips instead of opera, not many women would have been quite so understanding. Robbie supposed her job had taught her to adapt just the same as his had. Laura really was one of a kind and as they sat on the bench he had realised something else. James was right - they were good together. Robbie blushed as another memory surfaced. As they'd walked back to Laura's that night, she had put her arm through his. It had felt so natural that he had put his other hand over hers then, realising what he had done, he had pulled his hand away and pushed it deep into his pocket instead. That hadn't stopped him from enjoying the feel of her hand on his arm. By the time they made it to her front door, he'd had to resist the urge to kiss her goodnight. And then during the night he'd dreamt of even more. When he woke, he'd blamed James - all his knowing looks and questions had put ideas in his head. He had barely got over the embarrassment of imagining Laura like that, when he'd had to question her - the look on her face had stopped him from even attempting to rearrange their weekend.

But even after he'd hurt her, Laura had still looked out for him. Robbie sighed as he remembered her attempt to block him from seeing Ally, and how she'd listened to him talk of Lyn's pregnancy. He had even told her about his retirement option hoping she would say that she would miss him, but instead she'd talked of how good it would be to be near his grandchildren. Of course he hadn't retired, and he smiled as he realised James was to blame again - his 'who else would understand me' had applied to him as well. As he took his cup to the sink, he knew that wasn't strictly true - Laura had understood him. All those times they were together, it hadn't even mattered if they were on the same wavelength, they still had a good time. She could be pointing out where he was wrong, using humour dosed with sarcasm, and he had still enjoyed her company. He had loved making her laugh, watching her eyes light up at something he said. As he looked around the room, he could see Laura in it - laughing over takeaway, or his taste in music. She was an easy guest, she'd made herself at home and knew where everything was. Laura was good at that, making herself at home. She was as confident at a crime scene as she was at parties; as happy performing on stage as she was alone on a bench with him. Robbie thought for a moment, was their night on the bench when he started to feel something more? If Laura hadn't been targeted, would he have said something then? Could he say something now? Suddenly Robbie heard Laura's voice in his head 'you can say anything you like to me'. Dropping his head onto the back of the seat he sighed. How was he going to say he loved her?


	4. Something stronger

**And finally - my favourite _'something'._**

* * *

 _"Can I buy you a coffee, Laura?" "Coffee?" "Maybe something stronger?" "Sounds a bit more like it."_ As they turned and walked down the street Laura asked how the dressing change had gone "it was OK, I've just got to get the stitches removed in 7-10 days. And my arm is throbbing a bit more from being poked at but the tablets will kick in soon." Robbie rolled his shoulder as he spoke, trying to ease out the ache from sleeping in an awkward position. "Sorry Robbie I wasn't thinking - you can't have a drink, can you?" Laura thought about the conversation she wanted to have, and where they could have it, before suggesting "why don't we go to mine? We can have an early lunch, something easy to eat one handed perhaps?" Robbie smirked as he quoted her own words back to her "sounds good". They continued talking, keeping the conversation light as they walked towards Laura's house. Finally, as they turned on to her street, Robbie broached the unspoken reason for this get together. Looking at his feet he said "we need to talk, don't we?" Laura briefly considered feigning ignorance before settling on the truth "we do, but let's get inside first". She led the way up her path, and as she opened her door she turned to smile at him with what she hoped was a reassuring, confident look.

As Laura went into her kitchen, Robbie carried on into the sunroom. As he waited for Laura, he opened the door leading out to her garden. "Don't you want to sit in the lounge?" Lost in thought, he hadn't heard Laura step into the room. Turning to face her he gave a wry smile "this room is where I messed up, I'd like to try and fix it here". Laura moved to lean against the open door frame, "it wasn't just you who messed up. I took offence when you were just doing your job". "That's the point, I shouldn't have been 'just doing my job' - I should have been your friend first. I should have come round without James, told you that I needed your statement. Made sure you knew that asking questions didn't mean I thought you were involved. I should have handled all of it better". Laura had watched Robbie as he explained. She could see how sorry he was, how much he wished he'd done things differently. He may be good at hiding his emotions when interviewing suspects but this was personal, and she had seen everything Robbie felt. The look on his face, the way he lifted his hand towards her and the pain in his voice told her all she needed to know, and with a sigh she let her hurt and anger about that day go. Smiling she said "we could all do things better with hindsight Robbie. I should have told you how I felt, instead I let my doubts push us apart. Let's just agree to put it all behind us". Robbie nodded his agreement, not trusting himself to speak. Once again Laura was proving she was one of a kind. She was giving him a second chance, and he wasn't going to waste it.

Taking hold of her hand, he took a deep breath "speaking of telling someone how you feel, I spent last night thinking about how I feel about you. I started thinking about the bank holiday weekend, when we ended up with fish and chips by the river, remember? I think that was the night I fell in love with you. You were so... Laura are you OK?" Robbie hadn't known what her reaction would be, but it wasn't gripping his hand so tight that he couldn't continue talking. Laura couldn't believe what she was hearing. The pair of them were hopeless; each falling in love on the same night, each taking forever to realise it. "Laura?" Robbie's voice broke into her thoughts and she laughed. "It seems I had the same thoughts last night. I was going to say 'I love you' today too, but you beat me to it." She relaxed her grip on his hand, and placing her free hand on his chest, carefully avoiding his arm she added "in the spirit of confessing, I should tell you that after our chip supper I dreamt about you". Robbie could feel himself blush as he whispered "me too". This time, when their eyes caught there was no James to interrupt. Robbie took a step closer, he didn't want any more misunderstandings so he had to check "you love me?" He felt her fingers fist into his shirt as she smiled and nodded, so he dipped his head, his lips brushing hers in a gentle first kiss. As he lifted his head Laura pulled him back, kissing him again - not so gently.

With a groan, Robbie broke the kiss; for a moment he'd forgotten his arm was hurt. He would have stepped back, but Laura held him in place. Biting her lip, she looked up at him. "We're smart Robbie, why did we not see this?" Stroking the back of his fingers up and down her face Robbie said "I think we did, we just weren't ready to do anything that could risk what we already had". Laura couldn't help leaning into his touch, almost closing her eyes as she questioned "why last night then?" Robbie took a moment to enjoy the feeling of his fingers trailing down to Laura's jaw, of his thumb tracing her bottom lip before responding "because the last couple of days have proved that _not_ doing anything was risking what we had anyway. We were damned if we do..." Laura completed the thought saying "and damned if we don't". Leaning forward Robbie asked softly "is it wrong to say I'd rather be damned _with_ you?" It was Laura's turn to whisper "me too" before pulling him down into another kiss.

Once again Robbie had to pull away, gesturing to the arm in a sling he sighed in frustration "our timing stinks. Its not funny Laura" he said as she laughed at him "I want to hold you, touch you and this is just... stopping me". Laura moved forward, sliding under his good arm to settle against his side "I know, I'm sorry," she said as she wrapped her arms carefully around him. Closing her eyes as she snuggled against him, she added "I should warn you that in 7-10 days I have plans for you; plans involving a certain dream and my bed upstairs," she hesitated a moment before adding "that's if you're happy about that". She heard Robbie chuckle, and felt his good arm tighten around her as he dropped a kiss against her head before he replied "I'm happy about that".


End file.
